1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of securing a pair of connectors fitted together to a fitting body, and facilitating detection of the fitted condition of the connectors simultaneously when the connectors are fitted together, and relates to the connectors for use in the method.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 9-258809, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical lever-type connector device requires two-stage operations in which a pair of connectors are arranged in a position where a fitting operation of the connectors is started and the connectors are fitted together by turning a lever. However, such two-stage operations may be troublesome.
Therefore, there is provided a lever-type connector device in which a pair of connectors are fitted together by only one-touch-operation while temporarily securing one of the connectors to a fitting body. Such lever-type connector device is disclosed by, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 5-114436. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a lever-type connector device disclosed by Hei. 5-114436, and FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrate a process of fitting the connectors together.
A lever-type connector 1 comprises a connector box 7 fitted into a fitting body 3 (e.g., an automotive panel), a first connector 9 accommodated in the connector box 7 and a second connector 11 fittable to the first connector 9. The first connector 9 has side plates 13, 13 each disposed on the left- and right-hand sides and a lever 17 with an arm portion 15 for coupling the side plates 13, 13 together. Connector guide holes 21 are provided in the respective side plates 13, 13, each of the guide pins 19 of the second connector 11 being fitted into a corresponding connector guide hole 21. The connector box 7 is provided with a curved surface 23 for guiding the arm portion 15.
As shown in FIG. 8A, retaining pieces 24 (see FIG. 7) are retained by the edge portion of the fitting hole 5, so that the connector box 7 is fitted to the panel 3. The connector guide holes 21 of the first connector 9 contained in the connector box 7 are directed to the opening 9a of the first connector 9.
When the second connector 11 is held by the hand and pressed in the direction of an arrow A in the figure in such a way as to fit the second connector 11 into the first connector 9 as shown in FIG. 8B, the guide pins 19 which have entered the respective connector guide holes 21 push the first connector 9 to the left side of FIG. 8B. When the first connector 9 is moved left, the arm portion 15 is guided by the curved surface 23 and turned clockwise.
Consequently, the first connector 9 with the guide pins 19 fitted into the respective connector guide holes 21 and the second connector 11 are moved to the left side of FIG. 8B after being drawn to each other as the lever 17 turns and completely fitted together with one-touch-operation as shown in FIG. 8C. In the above-described conventional connector device, since the fitting operation is performed only by managing the second connector 11, the workability is improved.
In the above-described conventional connector device, however, it may be difficult to confirm whether the first connector 9 and the second connector 11 have completely been fitted together, that is, these connectors have been fitted or half-fitted together. In the case of the aforesaid connector device, only a feeble click feeling is relied upon to confirm a completely fitted condition, though a lance portion 25 provided in the connector box 7 and a mating projection 27 provided on the bottom of the second connector 11 are temporarily secured in the fitted condition in which both of them are resiliently mated together when the first connector 9 and the second connector 11 are completely fitted together and this makes it hard to confirm the completely fitted condition. Moreover, though the fitted condition may be judged to the extent of insertion depth of the second connector 11, it remains still difficult to confirm the difference in depth between the completely fitted and half-fitted conditions because such a difference is extremely small according to circumstances and there is the possibility of making a mistaken determination.